After years of vandalism and neglect, limited access and funding woes, Akron’s John Brown Monument is finally, once again, open to the public.
On Tuesday, local leaders and officials gathered at the Akron Zoo in Sherbondy Hill for the dedication of the John Brown Monument Trailhead.
The zoo’s former bus stop was repurposed to display signage about the history of the monument. Next to it, a newly cleared path leads visitors a tenth of a mile through the woods to the memorial. The path was created by Summit Metro Parks. Previously, the only way to access the monument was via a different pathway that was only accessible with a zoo staffer.
“Far too often, that monument has been out of sight, out of mind,” Mayor Shammas Malik said during the dedication ceremony.
Previously, the monument was only accessible to the public during special events and tours. Now, people can visit it — for free — whenever the Akron Zoo is open.
In a September 2025 article, Signal Akron contributor Melanie Mohler outlined the important role Brown played in both local and U.S. history. From 1844 to 1854, Brown and his family lived in Akron and worked on the land of Col. Simon Perkins, son of Akron’s co-founder, Gen. Simon Perkins. (The Perkins family owned the land the Akron Zoo and the John Brown Monument sit on.)
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“Brown was a radical abolitionist who advocated for armed rebellion for and by enslaved people,” Mohler wrote. “Brown is often credited for sparking the U.S. Civil War after leading the infamous raid on a federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in October of 1859. He was hanged for treason two months later.”
John Brown Monument erected in 1910 by local group
The creation of the trailhead was decades in the making, but the monument’s history goes back even further.
The John Brown Monument was erected in 1910 by the German-American Alliance to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown’s death. Its sandstone pillar came from the first Summit County courthouse. (The eagle that originally sat atop the column was lost in a 1940 tornado.)
In 1938, Akron’s Negro 25 Year Club installed bench seating, a fountain and a stone and bronze marker. The effort was spearheaded by Emmer Lancaster, a member of the social club and a civil rights leader and lawyer in Akron. When Lancaster returned to Akron in 1974 after retiring from a career in Washington, D.C., he found the monument in disrepair. The monument was restored and rededicated for the second time a year later, during Akron’s 150th anniversary.
Monument was plagued by years of neglect
As the years passed, the monument continued to be the target of vandalism due to its secluded location.
“Over the decades, the public awareness of this monument slipped, and it fell into disrepair,” said Akron Zoo President & CEO Doug Piekarz.
In an effort to protect the monument from future damage, the Akron Zoo purchased the land the monument sits on in 2000. The monument itself is owned by the City of Akron.
“The good news is, the vandalism stopped,” said Akron History Center President Dave Lieberth. “The bad news is, no one could get to it.”
For years, Lieberth was a staunch advocate of preserving the monument. He played a pivotal role in helping the Akron Zoo acquire the land and in the monument’s recent restoration and the construction of the trailhead. He also gave numerous tours of the monument over the past few years.
The years of vandalism took a toll on the monument, and remnants of graffiti and carvings are still visible. Further restoration efforts would require more funding, said Michelle Camou, director of external affairs for the Akron Zoo. She pointed out that the stone spheres that once sat atop the base around the monument are missing.
While there are no immediate plans for additional restorations, Summit County Historical Society President & CEO Leianne Neff Heppner said they would like to add an accessible path if more funds become available.
The Akron Zoo is open April 5 to Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and Oct. 1 to April 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
